This
is the story about a devotee who was though affluent and happy with his family,
suddenly develops an urge to know the truth about the knowledge about Brahma,
the self & the God and gets it in a peculiar way through Shri Sai Baba of
Shirdi.
Every
day, there use to be numerous devotees visiting Shirdi to have ‘darshan’ of Sai
Baba and receive his blessings to fulfill their worldly desires. Sai Baba also
used to bless them and help them in his own ways in solving their problems. In
a far off village, there was an affluent man who heard Sai Baba’s fame and his
miracles to cure sufferings of the people. He had ample money, land, a happy
family and all basic amenities in life. All along his life he was constantly
engaged in making money and more money. One day as he was resting, he was suddenly
stricken by a though. He said to himself that he has everything to be happy
about but lacks true knowledge about the Brahma, the self, the soul and the
Spirit-the Paramatma, the Almighty. He had heard a lot about the glory of a Fakir,
the Sai Baba of Shirdi. He decided to go to him and surrender himself at the
feet of Sai Baba. He would request Sai Baba to give him spiritual knowledge
about the self, the Brahma and the God.
He
expressed his desire to realize the Brahma and the Almighty to a friend. His
friend laughed at him and said that he was a wealthy person and has everything
in life. It is not that easy to realize the god for a householder like him who
is so miser that he cannot spare a single paisa for any charity. He advised the wealthy man to forget his
desire to realize God as it is just impossible for a family man like him.
The
wealthy man did not listen to the advice of his friend. He hired a return
journey tonga (a horse driven carriage) and straight went to Shirdi. There he
visited Sai Baba at the masjid and surrendered himself at the feet of Baba
saying; Baba, I have very sincere desire to know the Brahma, the God. I have
heard about you that you only can give me knowledge about the God and self. I
have come to you from a far off place with this sole desire. Kindly help me in
showing me the God.”
Hearing
this, Sai Baba said; “you want to know God! Ok. You don’t worry. I will show
you the God. You know people throng to me from far off places to be blessed
with good health, children, wealth and fulfill their desire for physical
happiness but nobody like you come and ask me about the knowledge of the Brahma.
I am happy that today I have a visitor like you who has deep interest in
knowing God.”
Sai
Baba said to him that the God is the origin of everything in the world. The
cause of everything like regular rising of sun and its setting, it’s traversing
on a predefined path, cycle of seasonal changes; summer, rains, winter,
creation of life and its decay; all are governed by the God. Therefore, it is
important for human beings to know God and surrender to Him to be free from the
cycle of birth and death which is only possible through the human body. Else,
the soul has to born again and again and the “Jiva”, the soul goes through
constant sufferings.
After
that Sai Baba asked him to wait and relax and told him that he would bless him
with the knowledge of God. Saying this, Sai Baba got engaged in his other
works. He called a young boy near and asked him to Visit Nandu’s place and asks
him to loan five rupees to Baba as he has some urgent need. The boy left with
Baba’s message and returned back in a short while saying that Nandu’s house is
locked so he could not get five rupees from him. Baba sent the boy again to
another shopkeeper to get loan of rupees five but, incidentally, the shopkeeper
was also not at the shop, so again he returned empty handed. Baba again sent
the boy for a loan of rupees five to another two-three persons but every time,
the boy returned empty handed.
In
fact, Baba was testing the wealthy man who wanted to know God. Baba did not
have any need of rupees five but pretended so to test the man. Baba knew that that
very moment, this wealthy man had two hundred and fifty rupees in his pocket
and after knowing Baba’s need, he could have easily taken out rupees five and
given to Baba. But he didn’t. The greedy man was thinking that if he gives it
to Baba, he may not return it. Even he was not ready to wait for Baba’s answer
thinking that he had to return back. He interrupted Baba and asked him
impatiently that having agreed to give him knowledge about God, why Baba was
taking so much time. Such a greedy man wanted instant Brahma Gyana from Sai
Baba. Any other man could have easily spared rupees five for Baba out of his
love instead of being merely a greedy & insensitive onlooker.
Baba
said to this man on hearing his question that while sitting here, Baba was only
trying to impart the knowledge of God to him but he didn’t understand. Baba
Said what he can do when the man was so ignorant? Baba added; “Listen man, the
path to the knowledge of God is not so easy. To walk on that difficult path one
has to surrender him completely leaving his greed, ego and senses. He has to surrender
completely the five things in life. These five things are; (1) the five pranas
(vital forces), (2) the five senses (five of action and five of perception),
(3) the mind, (4) the intellect, and (5) the ego. The path of Brahma gyana or
Self-realization is not easy. It is like walking on a razor edge.
Then
Sai Baba gave a long discourse about Brahma Gyana, the essence of which is
given below. This is exactly in essence is the deep knowledge what Lord Shri
Krishna preaches in the Shrimadbhagwad Gita as Gita Gyana to devotee Arjuna.
A
person who is not bothered about his body, and who is unattached to anything is
only capable of knowing God and only such person qualifies to receive knowledge
about the God. A person who is attached to his body, wealth and senses cannot
perceive the true knowledge even after receiving many sermons. Veda’s have all
the knowledge but everybody cannot perceive it without the power of
discrimination. One has to dedicate himself/herself in the search of truth and
has to practice regularly under the guidance of a true teacher. Then only one
can reach God. The one who has sheer determination to get free from the bondage
of body can only reach the goal.
Remember,
there is no day and night for the sun. Where could be the freedom where there
is no bondage? Where there is no duality, who binds whom and who unbinds whom?
A man desires to get free as he is under the seize of
“Maya”-disillusionment. He assumes that
he is the doer and so continues to suffer. He assumes that he is the body and
continues to create desire after desire, never to be fully satisfied. Such a
person cannot perceive the true knowledge of “Brahma”. If a person who can surrenders
himself with all his senses with uninterruptible devotion, then only he can
have the true realization of God.
Remember, the divine knowledge of Brahma is
eternal. The ordinary people cannot realise the divine knowledge in their
entire life time. A person to receive the divine knowledge or Self-Realization has to have certain qualification without which the knowledge
is meaningless to him. The necessary qualifications for the true seeker are;
(1)
The seeker should
possess the “Mumuksha” or intense inner desire to become free. He who single
pointedly seeks the God leaving his bondage to the body and worldly desires is
qualified to attain the spiritual knowledge.
(2)
The seeker has to
have Virakti or a total sense of detachment with the worldly things. Unless a
man feels total detachment towards the worldly things like name, fame, money,
position, he is not qualified and capable of receiving the spiritual knowledge
and perceiving God.
(3)
The person has to
become Antarmukhi (introvert, looking within). The senses should be reined and
their tendency to run outside needs to stopped. The person who desires
Self-realization and immortal life has to turn his intellect and mind inward.
(4)
The person has to
purify himself/herself from the sins of past wrongdoings. He/she has to turn
away from wickedness and all wrongdoings and fill himself/herself with purity
and positivity to achieve self-realization.
(5)
The person has to
adapt to right conduct and truthful life. He/she has to follow the path of penance,
insight, and celibacy to attain the knowledge of self realization.
(6)
The person has to
discriminate between shreyas (the good) and preyas (the pleasant). What is
pleasant may not be good and what is shreyas may not be pleasant. The shreyas identifies with purity and
spirituality while the preyas identifies with the worldly pleasures. The person
has to choose what is good for him/her. The wise man will opt for the good while
the unwise will opt for pleasant out of greed and attachment.
(7)
The person has to
control the mind and senses. The body is the chariot, the senses are the horses
and the Self is its master. The horses of the chariot will not lead to the
destination if they are not controlled by the intellect.
(8)
The person has to
purify his/her mind. Conducting the dutiful actions in life purifies the mind.
Unless the mind is purified, the person cannot get Self-realization. It is only
the purified mind which can discriminate between the good and bad, real and
unreal. The purified mind with sense of total non-attachment can lead to the Self-realization.
The ego is to be dropped and the mind is to be in the state of purity and
desirelessness to achieve the Self-realization. The sense of body
identification; “I am the body” has to go to achieve the Self-realization.
(9)
If you have not
already travelled on a path, you need to have a guide. The self mastered
teacher, a guru is needed to help a person to realize the Self and the God. A
guru leads the disciple step by step up the ladder of the spiritual progress
and leads him/her to the final emancipation.
(10) Lastly the most essential element in the
process of Self realization is God’d grace. Without His grace nothing can
happen. With God’s grace a person can gain Viveka and Vairagya to cross the
ocean of his/her mundane existence. As per the Katha Upanishad, “The Self
cannot be gained by the study of Vedas, neither by intellect, nor by much learning.
Only with God’s grace, He reveals Himself to a true devotee”.
After the long discourse, Baba looked at the wealthy
man and said, “Well, my dear brother, there are twenty five notes of rupees ten
each in your pocket which are your “Brahma”. Please take them, your Brahma out.
The wealthy man took out the bundle of his money out from your pocket and
counted them. He noted to his great surprise that there were 25 notes of rupees 10 each. On realizing the omniscience
of Sai Baba, he was moved and fell at Baba’s feet. He eyes were full of tears
and he craved again and again for His blessings. Then Baba told to him to keep
his money with him but remember that unless he gets rid of his greed
completely, he will not get real Brahma gyana. One whose mind is engrossed in
wealth, progeny and prosperity can never attain Brahma gyana. One has to detach
himself/herself from all of these. Where there is greed, there is no room to
think of God and meditate on Brahma. A greedy man cannot get salvation. For him, there is neither peace nor
contentment. Purification of mind is a precondition; without which, all our
spiritual endeavors are nothing but useless. It is, therefore, better for one
to take only what he can digest. Baba told to the wealthy man that his
treasures are always full and He can give it to anyone who wants it. But he has
to see whether the person is qualified to receive it or not. Baba said to the
main “If you listen to Me carefully, you will certainly be benefitted. Sitting
in this masjid, I never speak any untruth.” All those who were sitting in the
masjid were benefited by Baba’s discourse, the true Gita Gyan for emancipation
of the man from the whirlpool of the world. Overwhelmed by Baba’s greatness,
the wealthy man after getting Baba’s blessings, left the place quite happy and
contented.
Bow to Shri
Sai - Peace be to all
* Based on the “Saisadcharitra”, a book in Marathi by
Hemadpant
No comments:
Post a Comment